Sing For Me
by aprilonfebruary
Summary: "Promise me something.. Promise me that when you feel like it's too much, sing for me. Even if you just hum, do it. And I promise, I'll hear you and come for you. I promise. Trust me." And he held her close, making her feel how much he meant it.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys! So here's one of the stories I've been working on lately. I decided on uploading it now since I want to know if you like it and if I should focus on this more than my other stories. Open Relationship is on hold and I'm not sure if I'm going to finish it. I hope you enjoy this one.. My Hermione here is OOC but with reason, as well as my Draco. Set in 7th year. AU. The second war is over, Dumbledore is alive. As for other characters (esp. Snape), I'm not sure yet. We'll see.. Oh, and sorry about the grammar and spelling errors you may encounter. I'm looking for someone to beta my stories. So, if you're interested, pm me!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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><p>I have friends and they love me, that's what she said to herself. But if she had friends, why was she alone? Sure, people don't have to always be with their friends. But when you're going through something, your friends are always there.<p>

It seems that that doesn't apply to her. She was alone, and she was bleeding. Her back laid stiff against the floor of the Prefect's bathroom. She turned her head towards her left arm, where the bleeding came from. There was a cut as long as the width of her forearm, still fresh with blood still flowing out of it. She lifted her right arm where she held a small knife and cried.

Pain, fear and loneliness. She shook involuntarily as her sobs fought against her resistance. Her depression was getting worse and worse. Make it all go away, she thought as she positioned her right hand above her left forearm. With one quick motion, she cut herself again and a new batch of blood flowed out from her. At that moment, she was numb. Better this way than to feel such awful emotions.

Letting go of the knife, she propped herself up and dragged herself to the set of sinks paralleled by mirrors. Her hair was a mess, eyes red and face splotchy and pasty at the same time. She shivered at her appearance. It's at these times when she thinks she deserves the pain. She placed her left arm under the tap. She ran her right hand across, staining it with her blood before turning on the tap. Her eyes were focused on the way her blood cleared up quickly and the cuts became visible. Oh, how she wished it was that easy. To just wash it all away. But life wouldn't be life if these horrid emotions could be easily washed away. And that's when she started to hate life.

She pried her eyes away from the sink to look for her bag. She found it near a small puddle of her blood. After turning the tap off, she walked slowly towards her bag and retrieved her wand. Muttering a spell, she closed up her cuts and placed a concealing charm over them. Afterwards, she cast 'Scourgify' on the white marble floor to clear it of the blood. She went back to the sink, washed her face and fixed herself. As soon as she was satisfied that she looked normal enough, she headed for her house's common room. She would find her friends there, lounging by the fireplace with their stomachs full of the dinner she missed. If only she didn't promise to meet with them tonight, she would be in the head's dormitory where she didn't have to pretend.

…

He was currently on the fifth floor, on patrol. How bothersome! He could be in his room wallowing in the pleasant solitariness of his dormitories. Despite having to share it with the Head Girl, he was pleased of their arrangements. They would rarely cross paths and would only meet for meetings and such. Being Head Boy was great, it's just these menial tasks that makes it such a bore.

Muttering to himself about what Head Boy duties should be composed of, he didn't notice that he was walking straight to the statue of Boris the Bewildered. He abruptly stopped when he looked up a little and one more step would have caused impact. "Bloody statue!" He sneered at the statue and made to walk down the rest of the corridor to get the bloody patrol over with.

As soon as he walked past the door to the Prefect's bathroom, he halted his steps. Curious, he thought. Their seemed to be an invisible force attracting him to the door. A sudden sense of mystery came over him as he pushed through the door. The candle-filled chandelier suddenly lit up giving the bathroom a soft mellow glow to it. As he scanned the room, he caught a glimpse of something that caught more of the light's reflection than the floor. In a few strides, he was before the object. Kneeling down, his eyes widened when he saw what the object was. Using his handkerchief, he lifted off of the floor a small silver knife with traces of dry blood.

Panic started to overcome him as his eyes darted about the room, wand at hand.

"Lumos maxima." After a blinding flash of light, his eyes adjusted to the now well-lit room. He looked over the tub, to the cubicles then to the sinks. He walked over to them and saw a few specks of dried blood at the edge of one of the sinks. He turned around swiftly, wand out in defense.

"Whoever you are, come out! I am Head Boy and I demand you show yourself to me! I suggest you do so before a greater form of punishment befalls your fate!" His voice got louder after every sentence. If there were students walking out at the corridor, no doubt he would be heard. But no answer came. "I'm warning you! Come out now!" He bellowed but still no response. "Fine! If I find you, I am going to make damn sure that you don't just get suspended!"

Casting off his lumos and letting the chandlers do their job, he pointed his wand at himself and muttered a 'protego' and cautiously stalked about the bathroom. After covering the whole room, there was no sign of a living form hiding. He gave out a sigh of relief and tucked his wand inside his robes.

Upon seeing the knife, his head was suddenly filled with suspicions of murder or assault and the victim was either dying or dead in the bathroom. He knew he was exaggerating because nobody could really die with a knife in Hogwarts. A wand was deadlier than a knife. But still, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad happened in the prefect's bathroom. After one last look around the room, he carefully wrapped the knife with his handkerchief and hid it in his pocket. With a sudden thought, he cast a 'Scourgify' on the 'bloodied' sink before leaving the room and finishing up his rounds.

As soon as he reached the heads dormitories, he washed up and laid down on his bed. Before he drifted off to sleep, he made sure of one thing: To find out who owned the knife and why it had blood on it.

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><p>Thanks for reading.<p>

Love it? Hate it? Drop me a review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So, here's chapter two! Thanks to sh0rt3zMalfoy, Lingo10, Starcresentmoon & Burnin'black&blue for the reviews! And to those who added my story to their alerts.. Thank you! Hope you'll like this one.. It's dedicated to you!:)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I wish I did though. But it's all J.K. Rowling.**

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><p>It has only been two weeks since 7th year started and life couldn't be any less shittier. She was seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great hall across her two best friends who were talking about God knows what. She was currently busy convincing herself to swallow what she was chewing. No surprise to her, she didn't feel like eating what was served for dinner. There was nothing wrong with the menu (everybody was enjoying it), it was just her.<p>

Putting down her fork, she begrudgingly lifted her head from her plate and brought her attention to the boys. It was only then that she figured out what they were talking about... Bloody Quidditch.

"...inevitable. We're bound to form a foolproof strategy to beat those snarky Slytherins. There's a rumor that Malfoy and his team trained over the summer. I don't know how they were able to do so." Ronald Weasley exclaimed. His mouth was only partially filled with food which made his words clear. She flinched as she caught little glimpses of the chewed food in his mouth as he spoke.

"But it's too soon to plan yet." Harry Potter answered, running his hands through his hair. Ron scoffed in retort.

"It's not too soon" -he paused- "Alright, maybe. But talking about it with the rest of the team isn't a bad idea, eh?" Finally, he swallowed his food. But he was scraping his spoon and fork on the plate to fill his mouth once more. She rolled her eyes at him, an action that went unnoticed. Reaching for her goblet of Pumpkin juice, she caught sight of a red head approaching them from the corner of her eye. Harry must have seen it too for he looked up in that direction and beamed.

Sitting herself beside the raven-haired boy, Ginny Weasley smiled as she took his arm and looped hers in it. "So what are you to boys bickering about?"

She witnessed the exchange as if she was somebody unknown who just sat across them. They were talking and laughing merrily, as if they had no care in the world. Well, they particularly don't have a care in the world anymore since the war was over. They were just in the middle of their 6th year when it happened. As expected, fate was in favor of the light. Voldemort was dead because a few of his followers turned their backs against him. Severus Snape was actually a spy for the Order of the Phoenix and the Malfoys, Notts and Zabinis crossed over to the side of the light and gave out crucial information that made way to the tyrant's fall. The last of his followers were captured and imprisoned over the summer. Everyone was safe. The wizarding world was finally at peace.

And that inevitably brought the change in Hermione Grangers life, both wizarding and muggle life. Yes, she was a war hero, the brains of the Golden trio. She was the brains of it all, the brightest witch of her age, but that was it. Even her _friends _took note of that. Like she was nothing more but her brains. As for her muggle life, her parents were simply shaken with the thought of having possibly lost their only daughter in that war that they have decided to adopt a baby. She was actually happy about that, craving for a sibling all her life. But her parents only had little, if no time for her after the baby was brought home. Sure, she was already old enough to handle herself, but she was so used to the attention her parents gave her. Call her spoiled, but you can't really blame her. She was an only child for 17 years for crying out loud!

Groaning inwardly, she gathered her things and stood from the table. She didn't want to think of those things again. She's relatively gone a whole day without focusing on those thoughts. She didn't want to go through them now.

"Where are you going, Mione?" She closed her eyes, suppressing the irritation to be evident on her face. She turned around smiling forcibly. She knew no one would notice how fake her smile was. It was Ginny who asked her. The two boys shared the same look of curiosity and concern as the red-headed girl.

"I'm going back to the head's common room. I need to go through a few things for next week's Prefect meeting." That was a lie. She finished doing that last night. She just wanted to be alone.

"Ok then, Mione! Don't strain yourself too much. We'll see you tomorrow at breakfast." Harry said as he waved at her. Ron just grinned at her stupidly. She let out a small chuckle. He looked stupid. She gave them a nod and waved at them before turning on her heal and making her way out of the great hall. Away from all the happy chatter surrounding her.

…

As soon as she turned, Ron, Ginny and Harry went back to their usual banter. One pair of eyes never left her though. They followed her until she walked out of the hall. He sensed that something was off with her. Being the perceptive person that he is, he notices a lot of things just by looking. He was mostly right with his intuitions. And he was sure he was right about Hermione Granger.

Downing what was left of his juice, he stood up, gave small nods to Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini before he himself made his way out of the hall and to the head's common room. But before he could get past his spot on the table, somebody grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going, Draco?" He looked back and found Pansy Parkinson clinging on to him. His jaw clenched before he could answer her.

"It is none of your concern."

"But I was hoping we could hang-out tonight. What do you say, Draco? Just like old times." The way she batted her eyes were clearly suggestive. How appalling. He slowly drew his arm away from her grip and shook his head once.

"Get over yourself, Pansy. That was all in the past. And we can't relive the past." And with that he left, earning a glare from the girl he figuratively dumped.

He walked the halls slowly, scanning all around. A habit he developed just two years ago. It was then that his father gave him ideas of joining the ranks of Death Eaters like himself. He was persuaded at one point when the life of his mother was threatened as well as his own. It was a good thing that he refused getting the dark mark giving out the excuse of being suspected among his peers and possibly causing the Dark Lord problems in his schemes. He never thought that the bastard would buy it.

In the end, he was able to convince his father to switch sides, as well as the fathers of his best friends, Theo and Blaise. Being the perceptive person that he was, he knew that the Dark side would never reign victorious. It was an unwritten rule where the good will always prevail, no matter how cunning and devious the bad is. Well, they don't call it 'bad' for nothing. Although there was a chance of them winning, he knew that the side of the light will resurface in due time. And thus, the switch.

He was proud of this course of action. They were one of the key points of winning the war. The information they provided was proven extremely helpful. And he never ceased to take the opportunity to be smug about it.

When he reached the portrait which served as the door to the Head's dormitories, he muttered the password and waltzed right in. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw Hermione Granger, his co-head sprawled on the floor, seeming unconscious.

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><p>Drop me a review and tell me what you think!<br>xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Chapter 3! I'm warning you though, it's pretty short. And because it's short.. I'm going to post chapter 4 sooner. Oh, and thank you to those who reviewed, added this story to their alerts and favorites and added me to their favorite authors list. I'm so flattered! I don't think I deserve it though since my writing isn't that good and my thoughts are everywhere thus the sometimes incoherent content. Sorry, I'm rambling. But thank you! Really.. It's very much appreciated. So this one is dedicated to you guys!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.** _Sucks to be me._

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><p>Eyes wide, panic overtook him as he saw what was before him: A Hermione Granger sprawled on the floor. He raked his mind on what to do. Should he tell the professors? No, they might suspect that he did this to her. Even if he switched sides, people still see him as death-loving Death Eater. And they call him prejudiced? Hypocrites.<p>

There was no way out, he had to check on her. Leaving her would be as bad as telling the professors. If someone were to find her, he will be the prime suspect. How bloody frustrating.

Slowly, he walked through the portrait hole, making no sound. He was almost through when something on one of the couches caught his eye. He stopped and backed a few steps while watching the curios creature that is Granger's cat. It was poised on the part of the couch near her body, bending its legs. The cat was going to jump... If where its eyes were focused were any indication, it was going to jump on its owner's stomach. He watched carefully, curiosity piqued.

As predicted, the cat did jump. But before it could land on Granger's unguarded self, it landed on the floor instead. He let out a sigh of relief. Why? Because Granger moved from her spot. Apparently, she was just toying with her cat. She laughed when she saw it look at her with narrowed eyes. It meowed indignantly and she gathered it into her arms.

"Oh, Crooks. I'm sorry... I guess I just needed to feel that someone wanted to have fun with me. You're the only one that does that anymore." She apologized while snuggling the cat. It seemed to have forgiven her for it licked her.

Draco just stood there in the portrait hole, thankfully hidden by the dark. He knew there was something off with her so he tried to find out by observing her. Every person on earth is who they are when alone and in the safety of their own privacy. Maybe he might find out what's up with Hermione Granger.

She was still on the floor, cat in her arms. He knew she had the cat since their 3rd year. He came across it one night when he was walking the corridors of Hogwarts alone on his 5th year. The cat didn't really bother him. To be honest, he liked cats and even dogs. But they weren't allowed in the manor.

Watching how Hermione held her cat was... sad. It seemed like she was clinging on to the cat, like it was the only thing that could save her. When the cat shifted in her hold, something caught his eye. On her left forearm, there were a few faint marks. He never noticed them before. Must be the concealment charm. He wondered where those marks came from when it hit him.

How bloody stupid could Hermione Granger get? How could she hold on to something when it hurts her? Bloody stupid woman! The cat scratches her to the extent that it scars and she still has the bloody cat! If that ever happened to him, he'll kick it out. Animals don't have any sense of gratitude, especially that cat. He's seen how Hermione Granger was towards that cat, and it was the kind of treatment a prince gets. Ungrateful fiend. How could – He caught himself mid-rant. Why was he even hating on the bloody animal? It didn't do anything to him.

Having enough of the absurdity of Hermione Granger and her cat, he stepped in to the common room.

"Granger."

Upon hearing his voice, she quickly stood up. The suddenness of her actions caused her to wobble a bit . Crookshanks fell from her lap and was now walking around her feet, leaving his scent. He seemed to be proclaiming that Hermione Granger was his property to Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy. How long have you been standing there?" There was a slight panic to her voice. He smirked.

"Why, Granger? Been doing something you didn't want anybody to find out?"

"No." She answered a little to quickly.

"It's alright, Granger. Everyone knows you have a very unhealthy obsession of your cat. So it's not new news." He said in an uninterested voice, adding a shrug for emphasis of it not being a big deal. Nodding at her, he headed straight for his room, trying to shake of the sudden irrational feeling of committing murder towards that ugly horrid creature considered as Hermione Granger's cat.

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><p>Don't forget to drop me a review, loves!<br>xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: As promised (even though I didn't promise it), chapter 4. I've decided to keep Snape alive. But I'm not sure if he's going to play an important role in this story. Oh, if you go to my profile page, you'll see a list of stories that I've been writing. Sing For Me is actually Next To You. I know I said that it may just be 15 chapters or less, but I'm not sure anymore since my story would happen in a short span of time if that was the case. It would probably be only until December if it's 15 chapters. So, I might extend. But I'm still thinking of how I could work with 15 chapters. Long AN. Sorry. Ok, I'll stop. But before that, this is dedicated to you awesome people who reviewed and added this story to their alerts. Hope you like this chapter! By the way, I didn't proof read this so I may have mistakes. Sorry about that..

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **_As it has always been.._

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><p>The first month of the first term was now over and no significant events happened after that faithful night in the Prefect's bathroom. Hermione got busier by the week with head duties and she was thankful for it. Having too much to do means too little time to think of things one shouldn't think about. The distraction helped a lot and she actually believed that things are going to get better.<p>

It wasn't the same for Draco Malfoy. He wouldn't say that the first month of the first term was uneventful. There were things happening that he couldn't just leave alone.

One was that night in the Prefect's bathroom. The mystery of it all still has him wrapped around it that he found himself walking down the fifth floor almost every night after that. Unfortunately, he didn't find anything contributing to solve the mystery on those nights. But he did find students to deduct points on. That was an added bonus.

Then there was Hermione Granger, something off about her. He couldn't really figure out what was wrong with her. It wouldn't usually take him long to figure something out. But the case with his co-Head was different. One would think he had the advantage since they, in a sense, live together and is often in close proximity with her. But no, it's not working to his advantage. It was actually bloody frustrating how he couldn't solve it. His curiosity with Hermione Granger was gravely piqued and he needs that curiosity to be satisfied right away. But he resolved to figuring her out by observing her, not talking to her. Although he had nothing against her (he actually respected her for being brilliant despite her heritage, which did not matter to him anymore), others do and they might think that he has an ulterior motive as to why he talks to her.

He knows for a fact that she wouldn't be that suspicious. They actually talked a lot during the war, her being the brains and all and him providing crucial information. Sometimes they would talk about things other than the war, like concerns for their loved ones. In a sense, he could relate to her regarding that matter. She wanted her parents safe, and so did he. Well, not much for his father since it's his fault he was that involved and that much in danger. They would even talk about other things like wizarding politics, educational systems, literature, etc. It amazes him how much she knew and how he could actually have a great conversation with her. But he would not admit that. That's why he tries to not have those kinds of conversations with her anymore because it was pretty much addicting.

And now, this. Another significant event that has been happening to him: Finding himself thinking too much of Hermione Granger. Well, not that much. Let's put it this way.. There are times wherein one actually has the leisure to think of random things. When those times are given to Draco Malfoy, he thinks about her. And because of that, he found himself observing her for more than curiosity of what was 'off' with her.

...

In Advanced Potions on the first wednesday of October, Dumbledore excused the Head boy and girl and called them to his office. Snape waved his hand and let Draco and Hermione go, muttering something about not waiting 'til the end of the day. It was a pretty long way up since they were in the dungeons.

While they were climbing a few set of stairs, Hermione's satchel broke as it fell with a thump on the stairs and some of the contents were spilled out. She cursed as she bent down to retrieve her things. Suddenly, a pair of pale hands appeared before her and helped gather her things. She looked up at Draco, shocked. He just shrugged and reached for a few quills scattered on the stairs. Hermione snapped out of her shock and muttered 'Reparo' on her battered-looking satchel. After replacing the contents into her bag she faced Draco and gave him a small smile. "Thank you." He nodded and gestured towards the rest of the stairs. "Shall we?"

The incident broke the ice for both of them as they started talking about Head duties and some of the classes they were taking together. It was a plain conversation, nothing special, just to pass the time while they walked the long way to the Headmaster's office. Before they knew it, they were in front of the gargoyle statue. After mentioning the password, they went up and was asked to sit by the Headmaster who was standing before his desk in front of two plush chairs.

"A pleasant afternoon to the two of you. You must be wondering why I called for you, yes?" The two nodded and he clapped his hands together.

"Well, Halloween is fast approaching and I wanted to do something different this year. Are you familiar with fairs, Miss Granger?" His eyes twinkled.

"Do you mean like a Carnival, sir?"

"Yes. I would like to propose a Halloween fair. It would be held after the Halloween feast of course."

"But where are we going to hold it sir? As far as I know, these 'fairs' tend to take up great space." Draco inquired which caused Dumbledore to smile. "I was thinking of charming the great hall into a wide open space. Will you two be able to handle it?"

Hermione's eyes lit up and she nodded her head vigorously. Not only did she love fairs, but she was sure she was going to be busy for weeks! She will be pried away from her sad, pathetic thoughts. Things are going to get better! She looked over to her co-Head who gave one stiff nod to the Headmaster.

"Excellent! I know it will be a wonderful affair for all of the students. Please use the facilities how you want to. But please do be careful of them, the castle is much older than I am. Please be gentle. You are excused for the rest of the afternoon to plan and I have scheduled a Prefect's meeting tomorrow evening."

"Yes, Headmaster." Both heads said in unison.

"Oh, Miss Granger. I was never able to congratulate you. I heard you have a new sibling. Congratulations!" Dumbledore said as he turned and walked to his chair.

She momentarily froze in her seat which Draco didn't miss. Curious. As far as Draco knew, Hermione was an only child like him. Apparently, that's not the case anymore. She quickly shook herself and smiled. It looked forced, her eyes even showed a glint of pain.

"Thank you, sir." She said with fake enthusiasm. His curiosity was piqued again. Could this be the answer to why Hermione Granger seemed off. He studied her through the corner of his eyes. Dumbledore sat down and smiled at her, it looked a little sad.

"Thank you for coming. But before you leave, mister Malfoy may I have a private word with you?" He nodded and looked over to Hermione. "I'll meet you at the common room." She agreed and bid her goodbye before walking out the door.

After a few moments of silence, Dumbledore gave out a strained sigh before looking up at him.

"Sir, is you asking me to stay about Miss Granger."

"Nothing escapes you, does it Mister Malfoy?" He smiled and leaned over his desk, his palms pressed together. "I'm afraid I have a grave concern about our Head Girl. She seems distraught. And by her reaction earlier, I guess we now know why."

"I don't understand sir. I didn't know she had a sibling. But – "

"Her parents adopted a baby over the summer."

"And now she's jealous and upset about it?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly.

"What does it have to do with me?"

"Have you noticed anything wrong with her?"

"Yes, sir. I have. But I can't put my finger on it yet."

"If it is deemed that you know, you will... In time. But right now, I ask you to watch her."

"Like a guardian? You know I can't do that, sir. It's creepy and awkward for me to do so."

"Not like a guardian, Mister Malfoy. Just watch her, observe her. I am afraid I can't keep watch over one student when I have the whole Hogwarts to look after. I am concerned with Miss Granger and her condition."

"And what condition is this, Headmaster?"

"You will know in due time. But right now, that is what I ask of you. Will you do me the favor, Draco?"

He looked at the old man weirdly. Why would he be asking him to 'observe' her? Although he's been doing it all on his own, having Professor Dumbledore ask him to do so makes it feels like there's something bad going on. He was curios. A little bit worried, but he wouldn't admit that so he agreed.

"Thank you, Draco. You may go."

Draco politely said goodbye and walked out of the Headmaster's study. He made his way to the Head's dormitories with another sense of mystery wrapping around him. Now he's got two mysteries to figure out.. As it would seem.

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><p>Don't forget to leave me a review, lovelies. Oh, and tell me what you want to happen! I want to know!<br>xoxo


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Chapter 5 is up! Sorry for the late update. Although I haven't said it yet, I plan to update this story every week. But I suddenly got busy despite the fact that I'm on break. Hope you enjoy this one.. Did not proof-read, so, yeah. Prepare to meet mistake while reading.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. **

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><p>Once he entered the Head's dormitories, Hermione was sitting on one of the couches, feet tucked under her while staring into the unlit fireplace. He cleared his throat as he approached her. She looked up at him, sat up straight and placed her hands on her lap. This usually happens when they're about to talk business, which was generally Head's duties. That was one thing that was favorable of Hermione, her professionalism.<p>

Draco sat by one of the study tables and took out a few parchments. "Alright, Granger. Let's hear it.."

…

Two hours later, they were finished with their tentative plan. They planned on giving it to the Headmaster at breakfast the next day. Stretching his legs and arms, Draco stood up and eyed the grounds from his view of the window. Twilight was about to start as a few streaks of mauve was what was left of the sunset, gradually fading to the dark night sky. Another day has gone to pass.

He looked over to Hermione who was now as she was when he first entered the room that afternoon, only now the fireplace was lit up by a small vibrant fire. He sat by one of the near armchairs and leaned over, supporting his weight by his elbows on his lap. "Something wrong, Granger?"

She turned to him with an uncommitted look, "What's it to you?" There was no spite in her voice. It sounded like a simple query which shook him a little. She's never like this. He actually got worried. But that is only for him to know and nobody to find out.

To answer her question, he shrugged. "Just trying to make small talk, Granger. Sorry if I'm crossing any lines." With that he stood up, but made no further movement when he saw how she looked at him. It almost looked like she was pleading for him to stay. That she didn't mean for it to sound as if she was being rude. "I'm sorry." She finally said, returning her gaze to the fire with it's embers dancing in the air. He took a moment to think about his next move. If he moved away, he may have risked a chance to figure out the new mystery that is Hermione Granger. If he stayed, he would be risking his act of nonchalance towards his co-head. But that didn't really matter since his audience was merely his prospect alone. And he knew she doesn't talk about what ever happens in the Head's dorms to her friends since all of it was about Head's business. Well, up until now that is.

So, he sat back down and waited for her to talk. A few minutes have passed, and the only sound filling the room was their breathing and the light crackling of the fire. Normally, if he were made to wait this long, he would have left. But this was different. As Dumbledore may have pointed out, something bad was happening to Hermione Granger and he, Draco Malfoy, was made to observe her and figure out what it all was. But there's that nagging feeling that Dumbledore already knows and he's just bossing Draco around randomly. As if he doesn't get that everyday from the old loon.

All of a sudden, she sighed. That pried him away from his thoughts. He looked over at her who was now looking at him. The next two words she said weren't what he was expecting.

"Thank you."

"Er – For what exactly?"

"For trying to talk to me."

"Doesn't everybody do that with you everyday?"

She just shrugged, but gave him a sad, small smile. He couldn't help but be saddened by this. It was as if she was saying that nobody talks to her anymore. But that's rubbish, she's with her bloody Gryffindor friends everyday. They all seem to be talking and laughing and what not. Maybe it's not the kind of talk that she's saying. Maybe it's the deeper kind.

Draco gave a little shudder at the thought of having something sort of a heart-to-heart with Hermione Granger. But he wasn't sure if it was the 'bad' kind of shudder.

And then he remembered that other night with her bloody, ungrateful cat. He recalled hearing her say that that cat Crackshunks or whatever was the only one who wanted to have fun with her anymore. Seeing her looking depressed made it all seem true. That nobody wanted to be with her. Now he really did believe that something was wrong with her. She wouldn't be saying these things if she was just whining. And given how serious she looks when she said those things, it made him a little nervous. Hermione Granger was never one to whine about petty things.

Looking at her, she seemed detached as she once again looked at the fire. "Well, you're welcome. We better head for the Great Hall... Supper." He said as he stood up. But before he left, he walked behind the couch, directly behind her and shook her hair.

"You've talked to me about things during the war. Nothing stopped you from talking to me then, so what's stopping you now? Believe it or not, Granger, I am a little partial to talking to you since you're one of the few people who actually opens their mouth and makes sense. But don't let that get to your head. Merlin knows a million things are swimming in your brain as we speak. I am just a little partial to talking to you. And if you parade about the school claiming that I said that, I'll deny it and say that you're only saying that because you fancy me."

After that speech, he made his way to the portrait hole, out of the room and to the Great Hall. He stepped outside without looking back at her. But before the door closed, he heard a little noise. Smirking, he made his way to grub down on supper. He suddenly felt a bit happier that his smirk turned into an actual smile.

Walking down the halls, he still thought of that little noise... Because before the portrait door closed, he heard her laugh.

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><p>Reviews? Please? I'm hungry for them. I need to know what you guys want to happen.. So, yeah. Tell me via review ;)<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: And I present to you, chapter 6! I changed the third part of this thrice and I'm still not satisfied about it. But don't let this get in the way of you reading it though. The chapters following this would start to get longer, so, yeah. I wouldn't be able to update as soon as I can. But, yet again, don't let this phase you. Hope you enjoy this one. This is dedicated to the old and the nw readers of this story.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

_

Feeling relatively good, Hermione decided to pass up a trip the Prefect's bathroom that night and decided to get herself a cup of nice, hot Jasmine tea to relax herself. Grabbing her favorite book, she settled once again into the couch and started reading. Maybe this night wouldn't end as bad as she thought.

She was just about to finish reading chapter three when someone called her from outside the portrait door. She waited to be called a second time to recognize who it was. Upon recognizing, she closed her eyes and groaned. It was Ron. What could he possibly need this time?

Before, she would feel pretty elated when Ron would look for her. One reason for that was her once passing fancy for the red-headed boy. Now that it was gone, Ron was just a friend. Sure she would still feel happy that he's looking for her, but it's not the same anymore. He would always have an ulterior motive rather than 'wanting to see her' or 'wanting to spend time with her' when he was out seeking her. There was always something else.

Opening the door for him, Ron entered the Head's dorm with a small smile on his face. "Hey. We didn't see you at dinner tonight."

"Oh, I just had to finish up a few Head's business."

"But Malfoy was in the Great Hall having dinner. Is he letting you do things on your own, 'Mione? Do you want me to give him a piece of my fist?" His face turned a little red. Hermione felt a little pleased with that. He actually looked sincere with his concern for her.

"No need for violence, Ron. It was my own discretion not to head for the Great Hall."

"Oh, ok. Hey, do you want to hang-out with us at the common room. We'll just sit by the fire." He offered his hand to her.

Is this for real? She asked herself. Well, of course it is! She let out a big smile. Maybe she was wrong all this time. Maybe she really did mean more to Harry and Ron than being just the brains. She nodded and took his hand. They were nearly running towards the Gryffindor common room now. Things are really starting to look up for her.

…

The little elated feeling Draco felt earlier that night vanished in an instant. Pansy Parkinson found her way to his side of the table and never left. Draco and his bestfriends spent most of their dinner time getting rid of her, but she won't just budge. Either Pansy didn't want to leave or she was just plain thick. No matter how appealing the latter may seem, it's the former that's the case.

Even though he knew she wouldn't come and eat, he still hoped to see her bushy head in the great hall. All he saw was her sorry excuse for friends. He met Potter's gaze and gave a nod of acknowledgement. After the war, they made some sort of unspoken truce and became civil towards each other. They fought and won the same war with the help of each other, after all. Draco was expecting to meet the eyes of a red-headed weasel, but he wasn't around. After a while, Potter and his now-girlfriend, the Weaslette, stood up and left the great hall. Probably to snog or whatever. The thought irked him and he shook involuntarily.

It didn't take long for the others in the great hall to start leaving. The only ones left there were Draco, Blaise, Theo and much to their annoyance – Pansy Parkinson.

Theo, the less impatient of the three of them, spoke up. "Parkinson, I don't know if you're deaf or just plain daft. Maybe even both.. We don't need your company tonight. I don't even recall needing it, ever. So if you would please spare us from hexing you and leave us be, it would much be appreciated."

One thing one should know about Pansy Parkinson, is to never make her feel worthless and embarrass her in front of whoever or whatever. Everybody knew that, Theodore Nott chose to overlook it due to his impatience. Therefore, he earned a slap that resounded in the almost empty hall. Pansy huffed and walked out of the great hall, muttering foul things about Theodore Nott.

Holding his jaw, Theo sat back down and earned pats from Draco and Blaise. "Thanks, my friend." Blaise said. Theo acknowledged it with a nod.

"Yeah. Thanks, Theo. I wouldn't know what I would have done if she did that to me." Draco said before gulping down the remaining pumpkin juice in his goblet before it disappeared in front of him.

"You wouldn't really know, Drake. She wouldn't do that to you." Theo stated bitterly. Both Draco and Blaise sighed. They both knew of Theo's feelings for the girl and his jealousy over Draco. But Theo knew Draco doesn't have feelings for her. He knew he had feelings for another.

Trying to diffuse the awkwardness of it all, Blaise stood up and suggested they head up to the Astronomy tower and open up the recently sneaked in bottle of Firewhiskey he had.

"You go ahead, I just need to head back up to the Head's dorms." The two nodded and they all went their separate ways.

Draco reached the dormitories in no time. When he got in, he was greeted by a slightly chilly common room. The fire was dying and the room was empty. His heart sank a little with the emptiness of the room. He fully expected her to be sitting on the couch, probably reading her very battered copy of Hogwarts: A History. But she wasn't. He went over to sit wear she sat earlier that night and saw a cup of what seemed to be Jasmine tea. He smiled.

From observation, Draco found out that when Hermione Granger was relieved, happy, contented and/or other positive feeling; she would make Jasmine tea. It brought comfort to him that she was all right for the night. He leaned back and had a whiff of her scent that lingered on the couch. Upon smelling her scent, he remembered that small laugh she did. Suddenly, he felt all warm and fuzzy inside. It wasn't a particularly foreign feeling. He felt it before; but not with a different variety of girls. It was just one girl.

And the same girl still.

Draco never knew how his feelings for her developed. He, himself, figured that it had been there all along ever since the first time he saw her. She came barging into his compartment on the train asking about a toad that belonged to Neville Longbottom. It was at that moment, he theorized. How? Well, it was the first time he felt nervous around somebody. He's Draco Malfoy; he was superior among his peers and all those high-society adjectives. So when she introduced herself, he felt elated. But once he asked about her heritage, the excitement was gone for the 11-year-old Draco. His prejudice at that time took over and that was the end of the never-started friendship between them.

It was one of the main reasons why he fought against the dark: pure-blood prejudice. And it was because of her that he fought against the dark. She was the epitome of everything that his past prejudice made sure to emit, everything against it. And he didn't want to waste one more chance. Once his god-father, Severus Snape, offered him a way out; he took it, convinced his family and best friends and switched sides. A great weight was lifted off his shoulders when they reached Grimmauld place and a greater one was lifted when she was the first one to welcome him. "I knew you 'd make the right decision, Draco. You're too smart to be playing for the wrong team." With that said, she hugged him.

It felt like it was the most glorious moment in his life. Because that was when he knew he was on the right path. Because that was when he saw great hope. Because that was when he felt accepted by them, by her.

Because that was when he knew he loved her.

Smiling at the memory, he stood up from the couch and made his way out of the dorm and up to the Astronomy tower to drink with his friends and drown in the simple happiness he was wrapped in.

…

Hermione was contented. It's been almost two hours since she got invited to join Ron and Harry at the common room to hang-out. She thought it would be like before, them playing wizard chess and exploding snap; talking on and on about classes and professors they detested and the once, taboo topic: the war. But this time it was different. She was seated on one of the plush red couches while Harry, Ron and Ginny were on the floor arguing about something Quidditch related. Even Lavender Brown was with them. She was sitting by Ron, his arms wrapped around her. It was different, but she didn't care. At least they wanted her to be around.

Soon after they finished the little Quidditch debacle, they started talking about school and how their classes were going and eventually the talk led to the future; what they were planning on doing and so on. The Golden Trio received acceptance letters for Auror training as soon as they graduate. Ginny, who was still in her 6th year, was still debating between being a professional Quidditch player or a Curse-breaker like her brother, Bill. Lavender mentioned before leaving for a girl-to-girl chat with Parvati that she was thinking of settling down right after graduating. Hermione wanted to argue with her that she was too young to settle early and that she still had a life ahead of her. But she held her tongue. Apparently, in the wizarding world, marrying early is acceptable, if not, encouraged. It must have some thing to do with the population.

When it was Hermione's turn to answer, her brows were furrowed as she was thinking of what to answer them. She wanted to work in the ministry, but still arguing between being an Auror or being part of the Wizengamot. But, of course, she could do both. So that's what she said.

"You're barking, 'Mione! That's going to take you years to get to where you want to be." Ron exclaimed.

"Yes, years.. Which I have plenty of." Hermione stated simply.

Ginny, who was sitting with Harry, leaned where Hermione was seated. "But, you are planning to settle, right? I mean, wouldn't your career choice get in the way of that? You would practically spend every day of the week at the Ministry working! How would you be able to take care of your future family?"

"Well, I would just handle that when the time comes for me to settle. I don't plan on marrying right after I graduate. I plan on getting married when I am pretty much established in my career."

Ron and Ginny were about to argue with her, but Harry stopped them. "I understand where Hermione is coming from. In the muggle world, if you marry right after graduating, it's the worst move you could make. It's better to make sure that you have ample resources and such before you choose to settle. Isn't that right, Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry. But I'm not working to have these resources and such that you speak of. It's more of a 'me' thing. I want to be sure that I get to do what I want first and see where it takes me."

"Isn't that a little selfish of you?" Ron asked with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

Hermione was a little taken aback. How is that selfish of her? It's not like she promised anyone that she was gonna give him her hand in marriage as soon as the term ends. And she wasn't particularly partial to the thought of staying at home and doing nothing while her 'husband' works. It's just not like her. Maybe when the time comes, things will be different. But that's just it, that time hasn't come yet. As of now, she was pretty much thinking of what she wants to do for herself.

"How is that selfish, Ron? Please do enlighten me."

Harry, sensing trouble, stepped in. "I think what Ron is trying to say is that, what if someone wants to spend the rest of his life with you? We all know that your chosen career takes almost 3 to 4 years before someone has a place in it. Are you going to let that person wait?"

"Well, the answer is fairly simple Harry. Nobody has yet told me that 'he wants to spend his life with me'. So, as of now, I plan on doing what I want to do." She tried to stay calm while answering the question, which she did. But that seemed to irk Ron more.

"Maybe nobody has told you that yet because nobody wants to be with you. You always put yourself first. You make sure that you're at the top of everything. That's how selfish you are." Ron's face was flushed and his blue eyes seemed to strike. Bitterness was evident in his tone, but Hermione didn't notice that. All she heard were his words, and how much it hurt her. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Harry made to move and console her, but Ginny stopped him saying that it's not their business. The bloody hell, it isn't! Here was Hermione, his best friend, crying because his other best friend chose this moment to lash out his bitterness of the end of their relationship by hurting her. Well, yes, it's not his business. But he can't just sit and watch her cry, so he made to move towards Hermione.

He was too late though. The moment he stood from the floor to make his way to her, she stood up. She muttered a small goodbye and left the Gryffindor common room. Harry looked down on Ron who looked embarrassed. Ron kept his eyes on the portrait hole. But after a while, he gave out a sigh and shrugged. Ginny was just sitting on the floor, finding the carpet interesting. Harry sat back down beside his girlfriend and thought of how he was going to talk to Hermione the next day.

_

Don't forget to drop me a review, lovelies! xoxo


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but I have my reasons. The second semester just started and I am having the oh-so-evil case we call the 'writer's block'. Yes, I still have it. Good thing I was able to finish this chapter despite my predicament. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I didn't read it after I wrote/typed it. So, expect mistakes here and there. I'm sorry for that. Will make an effort to proof-read my future works.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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><p>Apparently, Blaise didn't have just one bottle of Firewhiskey... But three. It took them about two hours to finish 2 and a half of the Firewhiskey. Making sure it wasn't a waste, Draco decided to bring the half-emptied bottle with him.<p>

He was making his way back to the Head's common room, which was on the other side of the castle. Thinking of freshening up before reaching his dormitories, he made his way down the fifth floor corridor to the Prefect's bathroom. Just as he passed the statue, he heard frantic sobbing. Shaking his head a little to clear his mind a bit (He's just a little tipsy. Thank Merlin for his high tolerance for alcohol), he took out his wand and made his way to the bathroom. He pushed the door carefully as to not make a sound and popped his head in to see who was making the racket. He was caught off guard with who he saw, sobbing and lying on the floor with nasty red marks on the left arm.

"Granger?"

…

_She stopped trying to stop her tears from flowing the moment she got out of the Gryffindor common room. Lucky her, nobody was out in the halls that night. She didn't even come across any prefect who was supposed to be on patrol. She ran and ran until she reached the fifth floor corridor, the Prefect's bathroom._

_Once inside, she shoved her hand in her pocket. She felt around her pocket to find what she was looking for, but she didn't. All that she felt was her wand, her handkerchief and a few things she didn't recognize. She didn't have time to figure out what they were, she couldn't find what she was looking for._

_She looked in the stalls, under the sink; all the while sobbing. She was hurting and she couldn't stop the pain. It was going to drive her mad. Her sobbing became frantic, looking for it. But she couldn't. She dropped herself on the floor and laid in the fetal position. Her right hand on top of her left arm. That's when she felt something sharp against her skin. Eyeing her right hand she began scratching roughly on her left arm._

_The only thing she was aware of was the physical pain. Her sobs, despite the volume, seemed to be distant. No matter how sick it may be, it made her feel relatively better. All of her attention was on her left arm now which was red and had a few hints of broken skin._

…

"Fuck. Granger!" He pushed through the door and ran towards her. Kneeling beside her, he grabbed both her wrists and looked at her left arm.

"Who did this to you?"

She looked blankly at him, as if she wasn't seeing him. Like her mind was wandering someplace else and her eyes were blank and cold. He examined her left arm and then the right. That's when he saw her right hand fully. Her fingertips were red as well, but it had faint hints of blood on them and bits of skin under her nails.

"Why are you doing this?"

All of a sudden, she looked at him. Like, really looked at him and said in a hoarse voice. "Lost my knife." Then she looked down and started to sob again. All the tipsiness that was present earlier vanished in an instant. All he was right now was confused. What was he to do? Was he to call somebody for help? Should he tell Dumbledore?

No, not yet; he thought.

"Come on, Granger. Get up." He helped her as she was not trying to lift herself up. He supported her in his arms and they made their way to the sink. Once there, he placed her left arm under the tap and ran cold water on it. Upon contact, Hermione turned her head towards Draco's chest and winced. He felt her tears slowly damping his white oxford shirt. He let it be and ran his hand over her arm as if to rub the cool water on it. After less than a minute later, he turned off the tap and turned Hermione to look at him.

"I'm going to take you back to the common room. Can you walk?"

There was no response from her. She only hung her head and sniffed. Sighing, Draco lifter her head up by the chin. "I'm going to carry you, okay? Don't move around a lot. We wouldn't want anybody to think I'm carrying you out of your will." He tried to be a little funny, hoping that it would elicit a reaction from her. But she just looked up at him, eyes empty. And that was one of the saddest moments in Draco's life.

He was so used to seeing all kinds of emotions through Hermione's eyes. They were a chocolate brown with a few specks of deep gold here and there. He noticed how they would grow a shade darker when she's mad, and a little lighter when she was happy. He overheard her talking with Potter one time in their third year talking about their eyes. Hermione claimed that she just had brown eyes, nothing special. He begged to differ. But, of course, he couldn't say that to her. He was still the enemy back then. One thing's for sure though... Draco loved Hermione's eyes so much. And now, seeing them so empty, he was utterly depressed by it.

"Alright. I'm going to lift you up now." Draco bent down slightly and put one arm under her knees and one under her arm. Slowly, he lifted her up and shifted a little bit to get a better hold on her. It was a long way to their dormitories. As he was making his way to the door, he felt her turn her head towards his chest again and started to sob. His heart sank.

She must be the one who owned that little silver knife. And all those marks he thought were made by her bloody cat was all her doing. What's going on with her? Something must have triggered this. Maybe it was the whole sibling thing. But that wouldn't really cause it, right? She has to be in the constant presence of her sibling and her parents for the jealousy to ensue. It may be a contributing factor, but it's not what makes the whole of it. Is this why Dumbledore asked him to watch over her? He knew? That bloody old loon! Why isn't he doing anything about it? Why Why didn't he talk to her or something. Hermione would surely listen to Dumbledore of all people. But no. Dumbledore had to ask him. They were friends, yes. But they aren't that close and they don't have much history as friends for her to listen to him. Why doesn't he just ask the bloody boy-duo of the golden trio?

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that the trip to their dormitories seemed like a 3-minute walk. He even failed to notice that Hermione fell asleep in his arms. He muttered the password to the portrait door and it gave them entrance to the common room. Once their, he suddenly realized that he couldn't take her to her own bed. Her room was password protected. He couldn't bring himself to wake her up. He looked down and saw that she seemed so peaceful when she's asleep. All that crying must have drained her. The common room would be out of the question. The couches, although plush and big, wouldn't be comfortable enough. So, he opted for the last option... His room.

Upon entering his room, he dashed towards the bed. His arms were getting a little shaky and his arms might give in. He hasn't been working out lately so his arms were a little rusty with the weight lifting. Slowly, he sat her on the edge of the bed laying her torso down, pulled the covers, removed her shoes and lifted the lower half of her body on the bed and covered her with the blankets. She moved a little in his bed to get comfortable but she didn't wake.

He let out another sigh. Loosening his tie, he conjured an arm chair near the bed. He sat down and put his legs at the end of the bed, careful not to wake her. The alcohol in his system seemed to make it's presence known again. He suddenly found his eyes drooping. Cradling his head on one hand, the elbow resting on the arm chair, he yawned. Slowly, he reluctantly welcomed slumber confused and his head filled with thoughts of the girl asleep in his bed at the moment.

…

Weird, that was her first groggy thought. She never expected the bathroom to be comfortable, so it was weird. She stretched her arms only to be met by soft covers. Slowly, she opened her eyes and then she panicked. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was seeing her left forearm. Speaking of which, she made to feel it. It stung. She hissed a little and sat up. The bed creaked a little, but it was loud enough to wake the figure sleeping on the chair near her bed.

Stirring awake, he slowly opened his eyes while it adjusted to the darkness. After a few seconds, he saw that she was sitting on his bed. Hermione was awake. What time was it though, he asked himself. Judging by the darkness it was probably around 2 or 3 in the morning. He rubbed his eyes a little and stretched.

"Draco? Where am I?"

"Well, Granger... It's pretty much obvious that your in a bed room. And seeing as I am with you, it's probably mine."

"How did you find me?"

"Let's first make it clear that I wasn't looking for you. I just happened to pass by the Prefect's bathroom and heard you making a racket. And then..." He was trying to sound detached. As if finding her was some sort of disturbance. But he couldn't. His eyes were finally used to the dark and he found hers. Although it was too dark to see clearly, her brown orbs were swirling with confusion, embarrassment and sadness. Seeing that, he couldn't keep up the ruse.

He stood up, opened one of the drawers of his bedside table and grabbed a little container. Taking his chances, he sat on the bed, directly in front of her. She pulled her legs to her and sat in an indian position, the blanket still covering the lower part of her body. He mirrored her position. After getting comfortable, he slowly reached out for her left arm. Seeing this, Hermione covered it with her right hand and pulled her arm closer to her. Draco ignored her reluctance and still grabbed her arm. He made sure that he gripped her by the wrist as to not irritate the marks. She didn't resist and let him pull her arm away. He rested her arm first on his thigh as he made to open the container. Gathering salve on two of his fingers, he rubbed them gently on most of her left forearm earning a wince and a hiss from her from time to time. He kept moving his fingers over her skin for a minute or two and then finally let go of his hold on her arm and closed the lid of the little container of salve.

"You must think I'm mental right now." Her voice was soft like a whisper, but the hurt was evident in her tone. His eyes lingered on her arm for a while before he looked up at her. He decided to let his guard down for tonight and made a few of his emotions show. He looked up at her, concern etched on his face.

"No, I don't."

She scoffed. "You're just saying that because you don't want to make me feel worse than I already do."

"I just don't get it. Why are you doing this?"

She looked straight into his grey-blue eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. His eyes flashed of great concern and she couldn't help but be touched. Maybe somebody did care about her. Maybe he did _actually_ care about her. Of course, he may be doing this because he pities her. But she chose to let the former thought consume her. It wasn't obvious that she had feelings for him. But if someone would see her now, sitting in front of Draco Malfoy and feeling touched by his concern, they would see that she does. Hermione Granger had feelings for him. And maybe, from what she's seeing from him now, he has a few of those feelings for her too. She smiled.

He was startled when he saw her smile. Is she happy that this is happening to her? Does she think this whole thing is funny? Well, it bloody well isn't. He suddenly felt a little irritated. He huffed and looked away. And then he heard her laugh. Ok, now she's just driving him crazy.

"This is not funny, Granger. This is serious."

"I know. I just suddenly feel comforted that you're here." When she looked at him, she missed by a nano second the widening of his eyes and the little twitch of his lips.

"Alright. But why are you doing this?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Will you trust me when I promise to tell you some other time? I don't want to think about it at the moment. I feel a little happy and I don't want to lose it by thinking about it."

"Ok."

"Thank you." She gave him a little smile before she yawned. Seeing this, Draco made to get off the bed and to the door. He couldn't bring himself to make her leave his room. So, being a gentleman he's not known to be, he decided to give her her privacy for the remainder of the night and settle for the couches in the common room. But before he could grab the handle, she spoke to him.

"Will you stay with me? I don't want the happy feeling to go away, you see. And if i'm alone, I fear that it will leave me." He looked back at her and he couldn't help it. She looked a little helpless. Sighing for the nth time that night he nodded and made for the chair he occupied earlier. But before he could sit down, she spoke to him again.

"Will you sleep beside me?" He eyed her sharply.

"Aren't you scared I'm going to do something to you? Maim or seriously injure you while you're asleep? I am a former Deatheater after all."

Her lips turned to a frown before she shook her head.

"I trust you." And that was enough for him.

He made his way to the other side of the bed and slowly laid down. Both of them were on their backs, looking up at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. They were greatly aware of each other. Who knew that they would share a bed? Pretty sure most of the world didn't. Soothed by the cooling effect of the salve, Hermione drifted off to sleep. She turned on her side to get comfortable. That side being the one facing Draco.

After hearing her deep, even breaths, he turned on his side to face her. The faint light of the moon coming from the window behind him gave him a better view of her face. Smiling to himself, he somehow fell into a peaceful slumber. His last thoughts wrapped around the last words she said to him that night.

_I trust you._

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><p>Drop me a review, lovelies!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: First of all.. Happy New Year! Let's make this a more awesome year, yea?

Second.. I AM SO SORRY. I really am. So sorry for the really late update.. It's been more than a month since my last update. I hate to admit it, but I sorta forgot about this story. I started writing another one and that currently had all of my attention. But when I checked this story and saw your reviews, I knew I just had to finish this chapter asap. So, I really am sorry about the great delay and I hope you enjoy this one. Dedicated to all of you who reviewed and added my story to their alerts. Oh, and to those who added this story to their favorites as well as me as an author. I am very flattered and I can't thank you enough. Ok, enough of me babbling.. On with the story!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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><p>A few minutes right after he fell asleep, Hermione opened her eyes. She stayed still for a couple more minutes just to make sure that Draco was fully sleeping. Once she was sure, she let out a sigh.<p>

This isn't the first time she watched Draco Malfoy sleep. It sounds creepy, right? But it is not as it seems. During the war when he and the others decided to switch sides, instead of being taken to a safe place other than the headquarters, Draco opted to remain there while his family and friends were taken into hiding. He showed a great deal of eagerness in defeating Voldemort that he was the first to be initiated into the Order of the Phoenix among his two best friends. He didn't just show it, he said it... To Hermione right after she gave him a hug.

"_I knew you'd make the right decision, Draco. You're too smart to be playing for the wrong team." She said excitedly and launched herself to him and gave her a hug. She was just about to pull back when he felt his arms wrap around her and gave her a slight squeeze._

"_I want to help. I want to help you." She heard him whisper against her help. He sounded so passionate that Hermione couldn't help but be moved, plus a skip to her heart's beat. There was emphasis on the 'you'._

_They broke apart when Harry Potter cleared his throat and offered his hand to Draco, who, with little apprehension, took it. "Came to your senses, have you Malfoy?" Harry grinned while Draco scoffed._

"_Shut it, Potter." The sight of two enemies shaking hands and teasing each other with no malice gave everyone present in the room relief and hope. Severus Snape bearing the greatest of this. Making his way to the two lads, he clapped Draco's shoulder and said, "You and your friends and families will be taken to a safe place where you can remain in hiding while this war rages on. The heads of your lot already have price tags and death sentences written all over it. It would be practical and logical for you to remain unseen."_

_Draco looked back over to Blaise and Theo who had the same thoughts running through their heads as he was. Their families though, they were a different story. All three of them looked over to their parents who were fearing for their lives. They were part of the Dark Lord's inner circle, so their heads were worth thousands of galleons. But Draco had the greatest price on his head among them all. He was the undeclared right-hand of the Dark Lord. Nodding in understanding to the elder Slytherins, Draco turned back to his god-father. "I'm staying." Blaise and Theo said the same thing too, but Draco shook his head. "Go with them first, protect them and make sure they are safe. Then, if you want, you can join me back here."_

"Now, now Draco," Snape interjected, "I did not agree that you stay here."

"_But god-father, I want to be here. Need to be here. And I can help. I know things that could help you end this war once and for all. Think of the lives we could still save the sooner we end this."_

_Snape thought for a few seconds before giving him a slight nod and motioned for Draco to follow him, Harry in tow with the Potions master. But before doing so, Draco made his way to his parents. "Be safe." He said as he pulled his mother into a hug. Watching in the sideline, Hermione's heart went out to Draco. She understood Draco at that very moment, seeing how much he was assuring his family of his and their safety. She did the same with her parents, obliviating them and sending them to Australia to keep them safe. Her parents. Hermione let a tear fall before wiping it. Oh how she missed them. When the war is over, she's going to venture to Australia and look for her parents and try to give them their memories back. It was painful to think that her parents are living their lives not knowing they had a daughter. At least their safety was a consolation._

_She was too into her thoughts that she failed to notice that the other Slytherins were taken by Bill to the safe house and she and Draco were the only ones left in the sitting area. "I'm starting to wonder how you survived this war so far with that sort of spacing out." Hearing his voice, she looked up, forgetting for a second to put her guard up. But of course, he saw it._

"_I heard about your parents. Must be tough on you."_

"_Yeah, pretty much."_

_He approached her slowly then placed his hands on her shoulder. "We're going to win this war, Granger. I promise you. And then you can look for your parents. I'll help you if you want. But for the meantime, be strong. We all need to be. Yeah?" He lowered his head to level with hers. She looked at him and nodded, letting out a little smile. He smirked. She rolled his eyes. Chuckling, he asked, "Now, could you lead me where my god-father is? I believe I was supposed to follow him."_

At that time, when Draco slept in one of the rooms at Grimmauld place, Hermione would manage to hear groans from his door. She was sleeping in the same hall as he was and whenever she wold go down for her nightly glass of milk, she would pass by his door and hear him. On the third consecutive night that she started hearing him, she couldn't take it anymore and knocked on his door. "Draco?" She would knock three times before latching her ear to the door. All she could hear were his groans. Worried, she slowly opened the door to his room. With the faint light from the window, she could see that he was thrashing a little bit on the bed. He looked like he was having a nightmare.

Hermione approached his bed, sat on the edge and arguing whether she should wake him. But the moment the bed dipped when she sat down, he stopped thrashing. Nervous that she woke him, she slowly stood up but was stopped when Draco turned on his back to face her. He was asleep. Letting out a sigh of relief, she looked over at him. His nightmares seemed to have stopped. She stayed there for about 30 minutes, just sitting there on the edge of his bed, not necessarily looking at him but instead letting her mind wander. And the same thing happened for weeks until she left with Harry and Ron to hunt down Horcruxes.

She never had the chance to watch him sleep after that. Well, except now, that is. She was lying in bed, a certain Draco Malfoy sleeping peacefully next to her. She slowly lifted her hand to his face and it just hovered a few centimeters on his skin. Slowly, she traced it with her fingers. His nose, eyes, cheeks and lips. A crease would form between his eyebrows once in a while, but was not perturbed by it. He was beautiful, even when he's asleep. So peaceful, unguarded and innocent. She couldn't help but smile.

All of the sudden, Draco shifted and moved closer to her which made her pull her hand to her chest, holding her breath. Is he going to wake up? What's going to happen after that? Will he freak out and lash out on her? All these thoughts were running through her head that she failed to notice the little sigh that went past his lips. But the little snore after that was the one she noticed. It was her turn to let out a sigh of relief. She continued to stare at him while wondering. What would have happened if he didn't find her? Would somebody else find her there? What if it was one of the evil Slytherins? Will she still be here? Alive? Her thoughts were getting darker and darker that she had to close her eyes hard to will them away. Her breathing was getting labored and she felt tears forming behind her eyes. A few ones fell and she fought to stifle a sob that was threatening to unleash itself. Willing herself to calm down, she opened her eyes and was slowly comforted by the sight of Draco Malfoy. She didn't have to think of those thoughts because he found her. That in itself is enough for her and it was now her new happy thought. Having calmed down a bit, she involuntarily yawned. She was really tired from today and the lost blood made her lightheaded, add her crying and she couldn't fight slumber anymore. Her eyes fell slowly, her mind relishing the thought that before she falls asleep, it's not the ceiling she last sees, but him.

…

The usual disoriented state a person faces when waking up was being experienced by Draco. His vision blurry, he lifted himself up with one arm while the other made to scratch his eye. After the scratching he blinked a few times to fully adjust to the light in his room. Although not completely bright. The soft warm glow was enough to make Draco squint. Now that he was fully awake, he turned his head to his right when he felt something shift in his bed. What he saw made his eyes bulge. Hermione Granger was sleeping on his bed. But he calmed down after that thought as he remembered what happened last night. Slowly, he laid back down the bed and faced her.

He couldn't understand why someone like her would do this to herself. She was Hermione Granger for crying out loud! 1/3 of the Golden Trio and brightest witch of her age. What could possibly be urging her to hurt herself? Draco closed his eyes for a moment, willing the irritation to bubble away. He should be memorizing this moment, for fear it may not happen again. That made him snap his eyes open and do what he thought he ought to do. Her hair, spread across almost the whole of his pillow, looked as if it were glowing with the soft light of his room. Her face, dusted with a few freckles here and there looked so smooth. He'd bet his life that it was. Her lips, slightly parted to aid her breathing in her sleep, were red and plump despite it's relatively small size.

She was divine.

She is divine.

So divine that he had to catch his breath every time he sees her.

And so he did.

He made a sound.

It woke her up.

And it was probably one of the most awkward moments in both of their lives. But it ended the moment Draco decided to roll away from her and ended up falling from his bed. He cursed and she laughed.

She laughed. He couldn't help but look down, hiding his face for he was smiling. She laughed.

'Good morning to you too, Granger." Draco said as annoyed as possible.

"Imagine my delight if you falling out of bed's my constant 'good morning'." She teased as she looked over to where he was. He sneered at her as he stood up, soothing his bum. "It's already a quarter past 6. We're supposed to meet Dumbledore at 7." After saying that, Draco made his way to the bathroom to do his morning routines. That left Hermione alone in his room, somehow feeling her good morning turn a little sour.

Meanwhile, behind the closed door of the bathroom, Draco had his hands fisted on his head and cursing himself as quietly as possible. Bloody Merlin's baggy Y fronts! That was probably the most embarrassing thing in his life. Well, next to the Ferret incident and the Hippogriff charade. It was a consoling thought that it was only Hermione who saw him in such a clumsy state. But it had to be her that saw him! Goodness, he sure hoped she didn't view him as a jester with all his mishaps which caused her laughter. That thought made it better, though: he made her laugh. And wanting to hear it made him want to make her laugh more, but not through falling off of stuff. Merlin knows a wizard could take only a small amount of embarrassment in front of a witch.

Hermione was wrapped around her thoughts as she remained in the spot when Draco left her. Was he mad at her? Did she go too far? Sighing at how sad the previous situation was for her, she got out of bed deciding not to think of it too much. Maybe he's not a morning person. Yes, that could be possible. But she was rather the pessimist recently that she thought it was because of her. She made her way towards the window and looked out into the view of grounds, trying to forget the previous occurrence.

She thought about what was happening to her, how it was not her. Surely she was never this mopy and depressed before. Sure, she had moments of weakness, but she also had a strong-willed mind. Enough of this, she decided. Enough of all these depressing thoughts haunting her and taking over her. But it brought her closer to Draco, she thought. He found her at her weakest and most vulnerable state, and he stayed with her and tended to her. She could feel her heart gravitate towards him more. She was already there to begin with which means she could go further. But that does not mean that she will continue this pathetic state she's in just to get closer to Draco. No. She has decided to let time take it from her hands. They were already friends even before he found her like this. So much more could happen sans blood. So, yes. She will fight the depression and look at the other side of it, the bright side. This could not take over her life. She has so much ahead of her, she knew... for she was Hermione Granger.

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><p>I feel it's a bit rushed. I'm sorry about that. I hope you could find the time to review. I would really appreciate your thoughts on the story so that I could make it better for you guys. So, yeah. Drop me a review, lovelies!<p>

Thank you for reading!


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